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“We recognize that no head prosecutor is going to save us, that no politician will be what saves us.”

An unexpected winner emerged in the March 15 primaries: the movement for black lives. In major upsets, voters in the Chicago and Cleveland areas ousted two sitting prosecutors accused of bungling police-shooting cases. Young black activists staged formidable campaigns to oust the incumbents, providing concrete evidence of the movement’s impact. By signaling that officials who fail to hold police accountable will pay a political price, the victories could also change the calculus of upcoming local elections.

According to a 2009 study, prosecutors win re-election as much as 95 percent of the time. Until now, even those criticized for their records on police prosecutions have generally emerged unscathed. Daniel Donovan, the former district attorney for Staten Island who failed to secure an endictment of police involved in the 2014 chokehold death of Eric Garner, went on to win a special election to the U.S. House in May 2015.

Not so for Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez or Cuyahoga County Prosector Tim McGinty, whom voters sent packing by decisive margins. McGinty was pilloried last year for dissuading a grand jury from indicting the Cleveland police officers involved in the fatal 2014 shooting of 12-year-old Tamir Rice, who was killed while playing with a toy pellet gun. Alvarez waited 13 months to press charges against the Chicago police officer who shot Laquan McDonald 16 times. Critics believe she might never have done so if a video of McDonald’s killing had not been released under court order.

Next up, organizers may attempt to force out at least two other controversial prosecutors up for re-election this year: L.A. County District Attorney Jackie Lacey and Florida prosecutor Angela Corey, denounced for botching the prosecution of Trayvon Martin's killer in 2013.

While recognizing the importance of getting hostile prosecutors out of office, many activists say they can be most effective by remaining independent from electoral campaigns. Assata’s Daughters, a grassroots collective of black women, was one of several Chicago groups that staged rallies, bannerdrops and teach-ins as part of the effort to defeat Alvarez. The campaign “set the precedent for how young black people can organize against elected officials without endorsing other candidates,” says member Tess Raser. She emphasizes that the group will continue to hold Alvarez’s progressive successor, Kim Foxx, accountable. “We recognize that no head prosecutor is going to save us, that no politician will be what saves us.”

Really have to marvel sometimes at the inane insensitivity--not to mention lack of logic and reasoning--people display behind their internet masks.That comment is akin to saying something like, "Fact. The leading cause of death in Pakistan or Afghanistan is from members of those societies, so quit blaming drone warfare for taking the lives of civilians like, you know, at wedding parties or while riding in a car or truck or even sleeping in their home." It is not shifting blame elsewhere to critique police and prosecutors for police killings like those that have made headlines, that are all too common, and that rarely result in serious prosecutions of the officer(s) responsible. Rather, it puts the focus squarely where it should be in those killings.

Posted by Ima Dork on 2016-04-25 21:07:26

Fact. There is more than one problem; it is permissible to address them all. There are very substantial efforts to get young black males to stop killing each other. BLM is the only organization seriously addressing the problem of killer cops.

Posted by Law 'n order on 2016-04-18 10:44:07

There is a difference between “bungling the ruling Oligarchy’s corrupt and murderous security forces-shooting cases” and intentionally screwing them up.

Posted by Kuni Leml on 2016-04-17 23:22:50

Black Lives Matter Los Angeles wont say "boo" to DA Jackie Lacey. BLMLA leader Dr. Melina Abdullah, awarded DA Lacey, along w/ the organization she vice-chairs, LAAAWPPI, in 2014. This was amidst community pressure for charges for LAPD's murder of Ezell Ford, who was killed 2 days after Mike Brown. Dr. Abdullah threatened to tell her organization that I was planning to disrupt DA Lacey's acceptance speech to Abdullah/LAAAWPPI's "Women In Action" award Oct 16 2014. BLMLA undermines justice here in LA, by diverting community pressure away from award-winning Lacey to LAPD Chief Beck and Mayor Garcetti. DA Lacey is a Black woman and BLMLA has refused to protest her. Our organization Coalition for Community Control Over The Police was in front of DA Lacey's office w/ the families of Ezell Ford and Carlos Oliva, within a week after Ezell's murder. We have been at the forefront of public pressure against Jackie Lacey since August 2014. When grassroots organizers from Ferguson to Los Angeles speak of the erasure of their work by hashtag leaders, this is EXACTLY what they are talking about. BLMLA has played NO PART in the pressure on DA Lacey, but has diverted pressure away. The Black political elite in LA is good w/ BLMLA.

Posted by Keyanna Celina on 2016-04-14 01:53:11

Fact. The leading cause of death for young black males is other young black males.Quit trying to place the blame for your problem elsewhere.

Posted by Goldcoaster on 2016-04-13 17:04:48

Prosecutors get a free ride. Eric Gardner - Staten Is;and,NY choke hold death - no indictment prosecutor went on to run for and became $enator..... Republican $enator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) Tried and convicted by Republican Prosecutors - overturned because they withheld evidence,,,no censor..no reprimand.....free ride...Prosecutors are truly above the law.....